Newtown (Welsh: Y Drenewydd) is the largest town in the county of Powys, Wales and has been a market town since 1279. It was built within a narrow valley next to the River Severn.

Distance from Source: 25 km (15.5 miles)

Height above Sea Level: 103m

Width of river: 26m

Newtown is approximately 32 km (20 miles) from the English border.

Photo of the River Severn from a footbridge in Newtown

Photo of the River Severn from a footbridge in Newtown

Percy Penguin spotted some rocks which had been deposited

The river bank has been reinforced with concrete. Why do you think they did not just use earth?

The flood defences are sloping walls rather than a vertical drop. Why do you think they those to defend the town from floodwater using this method?

Key vocabulary

Depostion
When the speed of a river decreases it has less energy to carry its load, so it drops it (deposits it).

Sediment
The material that is carried by a river and then deposited.